Concrete block molding machine



Jan. 29, 1952 A. RYNER CONCRETE BLOCK MOLDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 17, 1947 FIG.

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Jan. 29, 1952 A. RYNER v CONCRETE BLOCK MOLDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 17, 1947 FIG. 2

Jan. 29, 1952 A. RYNER CONCRETE BLOCK` MOLDING MACHINE Filed April 17, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 f mw ry NP h f wa w w Jan. 29, 1952 A. RYNER CONCRETE BLOCK MCLDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4:

Filed April 17, 1947 Rr mf /Wu m Hf Patented Jan. 29, 1952 CONCRETE BLOCK MOLDING MACHINE Arthur Ryner, London,

American Aggregate C Mo.

England, assigner to ompany, Kansas City,

Application April 17, 1947, Serial No. 742,102 In Great Britain April 20, 1946 5 Claims. l

- This invention concerns the casting of blocks or like structural components in concrete or vhard-setting plastic material and has for an 0bject to simplify the manufacture of blocks of the kind comprising two spaced side parts or slabs of concrete or the like connected at one or more locations by metal tie rods or bars which have their ends embedded in the said slabs during the casting thereof. Such blocks are highly suitable for the erection of cavity walls, and will be hereinafter referred to for convenience as cavity blocks.

As heretofore produced, these blocks require careful handling both in the green state, since the tie members may then easily be loosened in, or even pulled out from, the concrete slabs, and in the cured state, because the tie members may then frequently be twisted out` of the concrete slabs when the blocks are being lifted by the aid of the tie members, which is the most convenient lifting method and is that generally adopted by the users.

The present invention aims at providing an improved form of cavity block of the kind referred to above which shall be free from the dsadvantages mentioned and may readily and safely be handled by means of the tie members, even while the concrete or the like is still green.

According to the invention a reinforced concrete or like block of the kind referred to has the ends of the tie member or members continued within the material of the side slabs as reinforcing members which are so disposed that any force applied to the tie member or one of the tie members is distributed to parts of these slabs remote from the member concerned.

More particularly stated, the block is reinforced by Ameans of a single reinforcing member parts of which extend across the gap between the .concrete or like slabs atrtwo or more locations to form the tie members andthe remaining parts of which are embedded in the said slabs at relatively widely spaced zones thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction of machine for the continuous or repetitive production of these blocks, and yet a :further object is to provide a mould for use in such a machine.`

close the moulds during casting and compacting,

each block beinglower'e'd with vthe pallet after casting and both being carried away by conveyor for a curing process. In a machine working on this principle v'at the rate of, say, 200 moulding cycles per hour, 1,600 pallets are required for an eight hour day, and, owing to the delay imposed by the curing period, a minimum of 3,200 pallets are required for `continuous operation of the machine. This calls for a large stock of accessories, involving `much capital investment, `'and further involves storage space, and the cost, time, and labour in cleaning and handling the pallets.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid these drawbacks, and with this end in `view a mould according to the present invention for casting blocks in concrete or the like hard-setting plastic material is provided with a base which is constituted by a two-part table or pallet having the one part displaceable bodily relatively to the other part.

Preferably, the table or pallet is reciprocable towards and away from the mould to close and open the same and the displaceable part is movable downwards from engagement with the block after lowering the table or pallet.

According to a feature of the invention, the relatively displaceable part is formed to support a metallic or other reinforcing member or members for interconnecting the two parts of the block, and may co-operate with a core located within the mould to define two spaced vertical casting cavities.

The two cavities then function to cast the side slabs of a cavity block, and these side slabs are held in spaced relationship by the reinforcing member or members.

The core may, alternatively, be partly formed on or carried by the displaceable part of the table or pallet and partly located 'within` the mould, the two parts being complementarily formed to present the desired core conguration in the closed condition of the mould.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description, given by way of example only, of a concrete block casting machine to `which the present improvements are applied, and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a casting machine with some parts broken away for clarity of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts at adiierent point in the casting cycle, and showing a cast block partly broken away to reveal a reinforcing member;

beneath the hoppers present invention, however,

being common Fig. is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the parts at another point in the casting cycle, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical, cross-sectional view taken on Fig. l within one of the cavities of the mould box showing the pallet closing the bottom of such cavity and one of the core parts in position within the recess of one partition of the mould box holding a reinforcing member in place.

The machine is of the automatic type having two mould boxes I, adapted to be rfilled with plastic concrete contained in hoppers 2. The concrete is transferred from the hoppers 2 to the-mould boxes I by means Vof feed boxes 3 which are traversable from a loading position 2 (as seen in Figs. 1 3) to a dischargingposition above the mould boxes I (as seen in Fig. 4). The hoppers 2 are provided with automatic cut-off mechanism, and

the movement of the feed boxes 3 between their two positions is preferably effected automat- .icallywby a power traversing gear (not shown) -which is interlocked with other moving parts of lthe machine.V

Thefeed boxes 3 are of dual funnel shape, as will be seen from the drawings, the 'feed openings at the lower end of each feed box being spaced apart to register with spaced cavities Ia in the respective mould box I.

` The bottom of each mould box I is open and, in the machine hitherto used for casting concrete blocks, this opening is closed by a pallet prior to the casting and compacting, by Pressure or vibration or other known method, of the concrete block. In the machine according to the the bottom of each mould box I is closed by a vertically reciprocable table or pallet 4- -this table is shown as to both boxes I-having a longitudinal pair of slots or openings 4a each of Which'registers with a division 5 between the cavities Ia. Thisjdivision is terminated at its lower end short of the full depth of the cavities and constitutes an upper core part. With the part 5 co-operates a movable core part 5 which is displaceable downwards from the plane of the table 4 as will be described below. In the mould closing position of the table or pallet 4 (Fig. l), this lower core part 6 forms a continuation of theupper part 5 to constitute a continuous division between the cavities Ia, the thickness of the parts 5, 6 being equal to the spacing required between the two parts of the Vcavity block.

Preferably, and as shown, the lower or moving core part 6 has an upstanding regular trapezoidal projection 6a arranged centrally of its length which registers with a complemenvtarily shaped recess 5a in the lower` edge of core part 5i (Fig. 3). Transverse grooves l are formed at the foot of each sloping end and centrally of the top surface of the trapezoidal projection 6a and of the recess 5a. These grooves are of a depth approximately equal to one half the diameter of a roughly S-shaped metal rod reinforcing member 8 which connects the two slabs 9a of a block 9 (Fig. 2). The two slabs 9a are connected together at three points by transverse or tie portions 3a of the'rein'forcin'g member 8, the points defining a triangle having its apex located centrally near the upper edge of the cavity block 9 and its base located near to and parallelwith the bottom edge thereof. The tie portions 8a are vparallel with the shortest edges of the spaced concrete slabs 9a. Y

The central or upper tie portiont is constituted by the middle portion of `the single' length of metal reinforcing rod 8. This latter is bent to 4an S-shape with the two loops of the S in two different and mutually inclined planes so that their end limbs constitute the respective lower tie portions, as will Vbe evident from the drawings (Figs. 1-3). The reinforcement member 8 thus has its one extremity 8b located near to the centre of the bottom edge of one of the concrete slabs 9a, and its other extremity 8c similarly located in the other slab. From these ends 8b, 8c the reinforcement member 8 extends towards the respective outer end faces of the slabs 9a, near which it turns inwards at right angles to serve as the respective lower'tie portions 8a. The member 8 is then bent'upwards and inwards to form straight, mutually inclined portions the upper ends of which are joined by the upper tie portion.

With this arrangement of combined reinforcement members and tie portions, a cavity block 9 may be lifted safelyby means of the upper tie portion, even when the concrete is still green, without risk ofthe tie portions being pulled out from the concrete.

It will be understood that the free ends 8b, 8c of the S-reiniorcement member 8 may extend beyond the transverse central plane of the block 9, if necessary almost up to the opposite tie portion 8a.

The moulding operation is carried out automatically in the machine illustrated in the drawings. This comprises a vertical framework consisting of four tubular pillars I. These tubular pillars constitute hydraulic cylinders within which work four rams II supporting a presure head I2 which carries on its underside four compacting tamps I3. These tamps are so dimensioned and located as to be close iits in the four cavities Ia of the moulds I. The pressure head I2 has a vertical travel sufcient to allow it to be raised, by hydraulic pressure on the rams II, above the level of the tops of the moulds I to a distance such that the` feed boxes 3 can be traversed laterally on the feed tray I4 from the loading position beneath the hoppers 3 to the mould filling position in which the lower ends of the funnel-shaped compartments register with the respective cavities Ict. The tray I4 is then retracted to allow the concrete to fall into the cavities, and after their contents have been so discharged the feed boxesl 3 are retracted over the tray I4 to the loading position for recharging.

The pressure head I2 is then lowered so that the tamps I3 rest on the'surface of the concrete in the mould boxes I. The boxes are then vibrated by means of electric virbrating mechanism I5 supported on` brackets on the pillars I0. When the compacting period is ended, the vibrators I5 are automatically switched off and the green blocks 9. are lowered on the pallet 4 by a supporting Vframe I6 which' is guided by means of rollers I'I on the pillars I0. The blocks are 'initially assisted from the cavities Ia by the weight of the pressure head I2. The frame IE is secured draulic rams I8.

'agsesmorr When the compacted blocks 9 are free of the mould boxes I, the pallet 4 comes to rest on three sets of rollers I9 carried in side channels supported on front and back pillars mounted on the machine bed. After the pallet has so come to rest, the frame I6 and the lower core parts continue to descend until the latter have been withdrawn from the-blocks 9 and are clear of the pallet 4,leaving the green blocks resting on the pallet. Opposite the `rollers I3, in front of the machine, Vare mounted corresponding sets of rollers 2l carried in side channels on a frame 22 which is vertically reciprocable between an upper position in which the rollers are level with the rollers I9 and a lower position to be specified below. The vertical reciprocation of the roller frame 22 is effected by means of a toggle linkage 23 on which the frame is supported, the toggle joint 23a being moved by a pair of pull-rods 24 operated automatically by any convenient form of motive power (not shown). i

Between the sets of rollers 2I are two belt conveyors 25, the width of which is slightly less than the spacing between the slabs 9a. Each conveyer belt corresponding opening 4a in the pallet 4. The top runs of the conveyor belts 25 stand proud of the rollers 2I by slightly less than the space between the lower tie portions 8a of the reinforcement 8 and the bottom surface of the block Il.

As the pallet 4 cornes to rest on the rollers I 3, a pair of pins 26 (see especially Figs. 4 and 5) secured on the underside thereof at the leading edges of the pallet 4 engage the flared mouths of slots 2l in the upper ends of levers 28 which are keyed at their lower ends on a common spindle 29. A pull rod 3U is pinned to each lever 28 (only one such rod `is shown in the drawings) and is connected at the other end to a power mechanism (not shown) for swinging the levers 28 and so drawing the pallet 4, with its green blocks 9, on to the reciprocable rollers 2I. VThis movement is automatically effected after the core parts '6 have descended clear of the pallet 4.

When the loaded pallet 4 has come to rest on the rollers 2I the pull rods 24 are operated to break the toggles 23 and lower the blocks 9 until the lower tie portions 8a rest on the conveyers 30, which are travelling in the direction of the arrows. The reinforcement members 8 thus support the blocks which are carried by the conveyer belts 30 to a curing location. The empty pallet 4 Vis then raised by means of the toggle link mechanism 23 and returned by the arms 28 to its position on the rollers I9.

When the empty pallet is in position on the rollers, two reinforcement members 8 are placed in position over the openings 4a (as will be de- -scribed below),` and the frame I6 and core parts 6 are raised, the former engaging and lifting the pallet 4 back into its mouldbox closing position whilst the core parts each pick up their respective reinforcement member 8 in the grooves 'l to position it accurately in the -mould box preparatory to the next casting operation. The pressure head I2 is also raised to permit the feed boxes3 to be traversed on their feed tray I4 into the cavity charging position, and the casting cycle is repeated.

The mechanism for placing reinforcement members 8 in position on the empty pallet 4 consists of a chute 3I associated with each mould box I into which reinforcement members 8 are fed in any convenient manner. The chutes each terminate in a level gate section 32 having side 25 is located opposite, and in line with, a

walls which extend belowthe level of the floor of the chute 3| to a depth greater than the vertical height of a reinforcement member 8. The base 33 of this gate section is flush with the pallet 4 when the latter is resting on the rollers I9. The floor of each chute 3I is continued Within the gate section 32 as a pair ofmarginal runners 34 which are hinged on the inward-facing surfaces of the walls of the section so as to be capable of swing- `.ing downwards from a horizontal inward-projecting position in which they form supporting ledges to avertical position in which they lie against thesaid .walls under the control of latch or simil'ar mechanism (not shown). Each gate section .32 is of a length equal to the length of a single reinforcement member 8.

A pick-up fork 35 is carried on the end of a horizontally reciprocable hydraulic ram 36, the external width of the fork 35 being sufllcient to pass` freely between .the mutually inclined portions of the member 8, whilst the internal width of the fork is sufficient to clear the lower core part 6. The leading ends of the fork :arms are chamfered and provided with a shoulder 3l.

In operation of the feed mechanism, a number of reinforcement members 8 are placed in the chute 3I and. slide down to the bottom thereof, the leading member 8 being pushed onto the hinged runners 34which are supported by the latch mechanism in the raised position'. The ram 3S and fork 35 are withdrawn to the position shown in Figs. l and 2 until the empty pallet 4 is returned to position on the rollers I3. Automatic trip mechanism then causes operation `of the latch to collapse the `hinged runners 34 and allow the reinforcement member supported thereon to fall onto the base 33. The ram 36 is thereupon advanced and the chamfered leading ends Iof the fork 35 pick up the member 8 yby the upper tie portion 8a and the shoulders 31 carry itforward with the ram 36 to bring the reinforcement member over the respective gap 4a in the pallet 4. The stroke of the ram 36 is adjusted so that, when the core part -8 is raised through the gap 4a. the tie portions 8a are engaged by the slots 'I in the core part. In this position the fork 35 embraces the core part freely.

As `soon as the reinforcement member 8 is so engaged, the ram'36 and fork 35 are withdrawn, preferably by `a quick return action, to the fully retracted `position and the hinged runners 34 are returned to their horizontal position. The latter are preferably formed at their rearward ends with upstanding detent formations (not shown) which are moved down into the path of the next reinforcement member 8 to prevent it from falling through the gate section 32 during operation of the ram 36. When the runners 34 are returned to the horizontal position, the detents are moved to a vertical position against the walls of the chute 3| out of the path of the next reinforcement member 8, which is thereupon pushed by the weight of the other members in the chute onto the runners. The cycle is then repeated.

The timing of the operations of each of the several components of the machine is perferably controlled by automatic trips operated by the component immediately preceding it in the sequence. All operations may be carried out hydraulically or pneumatically, or if preferred, some or all of them may be carried out by electrical means.

In an alternative design of composite core assembly, which ls suitable more particularly for 'use where casting is by hand 'in different aggregates.

Vopenings therethrough; a

or by semi-automatic machine, the upper part of the core is formed in two abutting parts, separated in the lengthwise direction, each part being hinged at its lower outer end on the displaceable core part 6. In use of this form of core, 4the abutting upper parts of the core are first swung outwards to stand clear of the lower part 6 thereof, and the reinforcing members 8 are inserted into their grooves 1 asbefore. then swung back into position, and locked if desired, and the pallet 4 is raised into the mouldclosing position ready for thecasting operation as before. On lowering the pallet 4 with the cast green block resting thereon, the upper core parts are swung outwards and the displaceable part B is further lowered to withdraw it from'the block. The block is then transferred from the pallet and taken to the curing location.

By suitably designing the core parts, transverse passages may be formed therein, either at the locations ofthe grooves for the reinforcing rods or between the said groves so that, during the casting operation, concrete may be forced into these transverse passages to form transverse stiiening ribs or webs. Any method of supporting the reinforcing rods may be adopted as desired; for example, small lugs may be welded to the surface of the table or the core parts at the required positions, or the supports may be loose and placed in position on the table or core as required.

The side slabs 9a of a cavity block may be cast Thus, the mix fed to the cavity for casting the outside slab of the block which will form part of the outer skin of a cavity wall may be cast in a denser mix than 'the inner slab to give greatest mechanical strength and weather-resistance, whilst the mix for the inner slab may be lighter, and more fibrous, to impart greater heat and sound insulating properties.

Fillets may be formed or secured on the pallet 4 or on surfaces of the mould boxes I to form mortar grooves in the edges of the block during casting, and these fillets may be fixed or detachable as preferred.

In the above description of machine for casting concrete blocks it has been stated that the conveyor belts transportthe green blocks 9 to a curing location. This may be a curing oven or Vroom in which the blocks are stacked Aon shelves or trays after removal from the con,- veyors, or the conveyors may themselves pass through a quick curing oven or tunnel. This latter arrangement would have the advantage that the blocks 9 would not be handled until they have set hard.

What I claimis:

. l. In a concrete -block making machine, a mould box having a pair of spaced-apart vertical vertically reciprocable pallet underlying said mould box and adapted to close the bottom of said openings when at one end of its path of travel; means for shifting said pallet to and from said underlying relationship with the mould box when said pallet is at the opposite end of its path of travel, said mould box having a The two hinged parts are .most end thereof, said recess interconnecting said openings; and means for moving a tie member into said recess and said openings for reinforcing the block to be formed by said mould box. v

2. In a concrete block making machine, a holf low mould box having an open top and annopen bottom; al vertically rec1procable member includ- Ying a pallet and a core part underlying the mould box and closing the open bottom thereof when at one end of its path of travel; means for directing material for a block into the top of said box; and structure for moving said member and the block carried thereby to a position spaced below the mould box, said core part of `the member having means for receiving and moving a tie member for the block into the mould box when the member is shifted to a position closing the bottomof the mould box. Y

3. In a concrete block making machine, `a hollow mould box having an open topl andan open bottom; a vertically reciprocable member including a pallet and a core part underlying the mould box and closing the open bottom thereof when at one end of its path Yof travel; means for directing material for a block into the top of said box; structure for moving said member and the block carried thereby to a position spaced below the mould box, said core part of the member having means for receiving and moving a tie member for the block into the mould box when the member is shifted to a position closing the bottom of the mould box; and means for moving said tie member into the path of travel of said core'part when the latter is spaced from the mould box.

4. In a concrete block making machine las set forth in claim 3 wherein said means for moving the tie member comprises a reciprocable fork adapted to receive the tie member and carry the same into said path of travel of lthe one section of the table.

5. In a concrete block making machine as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means for moving the tie member comprises a reciprocable fork adapted to receive the tie member and carry the same into said path of travel of the one section of the table, and Ywherein said machine is provided with feeding mechanism for supplying said' fork with tie members as the fork reciprocates.

ARTHUR RYNER;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: f

UNITED STATES 'PATENTS Shugart Feb. 16, 1943 

